Miscellaneous

Dr. Umesh D. Pradhan

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Miscellaneous

Content

1. Activities to Develop Basic Language Skills
2. Assessment of Answer papers
3. Don’t teach
4. Our Present builds our Future
5. School Planning
6. Teacher’s Attitude towards Learners
7. Past, Present and Future of Teaching of English at +
stage
8. Changing Test Type
9. Changing the Condition ...
10. Exercises for Enriching Vocabulary
11. Sub-skills of Writing
12. Testing the skill of Interrogation Differently
13. Question Paper to Activity Sheet: A Paradigm Shift
in Testing

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Foreword

Several articles were written out of the day to day
experience in teaching. Some of them were published in
Shikshan Sankraman. They are collected here under one
cover. The topics of these articles are the problems relating
education in general. There are articles also on the various
issues pertaining to the pedagogy of English.

Several experiments that I did during my career as a
teacher and also as the co-ordinator and convener of English
Board of Maharashtra State, have been worded in form of
articles. The essay that got the first prize in COBSE national
competition is also here for the enthusiasts to know the issue
of the changes brought in the evaluation pattern.

This is my free writing based on my own thinking and
experience. I hope that it would make interesting reading for
the novices in the field of teaching and learning of English.
Most of the issues are going to be beyond time constrain and
they will always have a reading value.

Some of these articles were published in Shikshan
Sankrman. I hope that the readers will definitely enjoy reading
the views.

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1. Activities to Develop the Basic
Language Skills

‘The students in Maharashtra at any level cannot even
read properly or write something properly.’ ‘They are weak in
vocabulary.’ ‘They cannot speak fluently.’ These are the
common universal grumbles. Even some of the NGOs come up
with this sort of findings. Despite all the efforts of helping the
students acquire the basic skills comments like these are
disheartening. Though English is being learnt as a compulsory
subject right from the preliminary stages of education, the
students remain weak in the different areas. People at large
pose questions and raise their doubts regarding the learning
outcome of the students. Examination oriented students and
the system encourages the students to prepare for the exam.
which stresses the written performance more as compared to
the spoken aspect. Every activity in a school is guided by the
kind of questions that are set for the exam. and the need to
develop the basic language skills remain neglected. Here is a
collection of some sample activities which would encourage
the students to develop their listening and speaking skill.

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Teaching and learning English largely depend on
developing different basic language skills. Along with the
exercises in the textbook if a teacher conducts the following
activities it is believed that the learners will develop the
required skills easily. Sincere efforts without any compromise
are needed to change the scenario.

Listening skill

Activities with a purpose help the learners to
concentrate and to be attentive. It also adds to sharpening
their listening capacity. Variety of activities can help to acquire
the skill. Teacher will have to plan for arranging lessons in
improving listening skill or speaking skill. Considering the level
of the students a teacher can select the activities and can make
them simple or add to the complexity level. Also, note that
deliberate planning of activities of while listening and after
listening are essential to give the students right kind of
practice. Both the skills are different while listening skill
requires quick response while as after listening skill may
require some time more. Following are in mixed up type. Don’t
forget that practice leads to perfection. Also, it is important to
note that better listening helps for better speaking, since both
the skills are interlinked.

1. Listen and repeat: At the primary level the students are
expected to repeat letters of alphabets, sound that they
represent, words, phrases and small sentences.

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2. Listen and draw: Here, the students are expected to
listen to the instructions of the teacher and draw
accordingly in their notebooks.

3. Listen and show: After listening to the instruction of
the teacher the student will have to show the object or a
picture from the drawing or a photograph. A student
failing to listen properly may not give proper response.

4. Listen and write: A teacher will say different words and
the students are expected to write that word.

5. Listen and underline: Immediately after listening to the
pronunciation of the word the students are expected to
underline the word that they have listened. This avoids a
teachers attitude towards finding faults with the
students in spelling. It becomes a practice in listening.

6. Listen and draw a circle: Just like the earlier activity
students can encircle the word instead of underlining
them. This kind of innovations in the activity brings
about interest and variety.

7. Listen and do: After listening to the oral instructions
the students can start developing artistic work like
Origami or drawing. As the students are interested in
doing they concentrate on listening.

8. Solving riddles by listening: The oral riddles are very
interesting for the students. They encourage

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imagination, associating meaning and so on.

9. Mime time: The teacher will say certain sentences
expecting the learners to do certain actions. The
students without uttering a word or saying just are
expected to enact. The action will prove whether they
are good in listening and can associate sound with its
meaning.

10. Dictation: Dictating a word, sentence or a paragraph is
a nice exercise in listening. This keeps the students busy
and helps them sharpen their listening power. The
speed of dictation is important.

11. Listen and act (instructions): Just like miming, the
student will have to act as per the instructions. Quick
comprehension and listening for the exact action
expected is needed. This can be converted into a
language game form, the famous version is ‘Shivaji
says———”

12. Listen and answer: Answering to the questions in an
oral form also requires the skill of listening. The
integration of skills is expected.

13. Complete the picture with instructions join the dots:
After listening to the oral instructions of the teachers
the students are expected to join the numbers or dots
which would complete a picture. The instructions given
should be clearly understood.

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14. Complete sentence, table: This is a sort of dictation but
the learner will have to complete the sentence or table
after listening to the starting of the sentences given by
the teacher.

15. Listen and find: From the picture or a photograph the
student will have to find out the hidden action or a
thing. This can also be like a language game.
Involvement of the students in actual listening and the
activity following that will develop the listening capacity
of the students.

16. Listen to radio or TV news: Ask the students to listen to
the news and note down as many words or expressions
they come across. This can be considered as a while
listening activity. Listening to an electronic media like
radio and TV give different sort of experiences.

17. Listen and complete the summary: Students will have
to complete the summary after listening to a paragraph.
The students can be asked to go through the summary
before the teacher starts reading the paragraph.
Attentive listening for the specific purpose can
encourage listening.

18. Listen and fill in the blanks: Just like the exercise in
dictation the student are expected to fill in the blanks
just by listening. The students may read the script before

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they listen to the teacher.

19. Listen and say whether the statements are true or
false: Just while listening the students will have to
decide whether the statements given are true or false.
The teacher will have to prepare relevant worksheets to
give practice in listening.

20. Listen and choose from the options given: Out of the
various options or alternatives given the student will
have to select the proper one after listening to the
teacher.

21. Listen and locate (map, person): From the given
picture or a photograph the student will have to locate
the exact person, thing or a place.

22. Listen to the announcement and decide: Radio
commentary or announcements recorded can be used
to give real life experience of listening. Based on their
listening an activity of deciding can be developed.

23. Listen and decide on the right and wrong sentence:
After listening the students can decide on whether the
sentence is right or wrong.

24. Listen and complete by selecting from the alternatives:
After listening the student will have to select from the
alternatives provided.

Speaking skill

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Speaking skill is maximally used in the day to day life.
More than writing listening and speaking skills are given
importance. While speaking it is the fluency that pays
important part than the accuracy. the students are unable to
master the skill for many reasons like, lack of vocabulary,
insistence on the grammatical correctness, effect of the
mother tongue, lack of ideas and thoughts, all these leads to
keeping quiet rather than to vocalise. Little guidelines, tips,
hints in form of the situations can help the students to use
English freely. Normally the teachers find it difficult to create
situations in a class which would promote speaking. Students
need to react or respond orally. To empower the students to
speak, respond, question all these are very important.
Following are the activities for developing speaking skill.

1. Picture reading: Students find it very easy to talk on
the issue in the picture since the things are in front of
them. The skill of observation also helps for
encouraging to speak. Confidence level can increase if
the students are prompted with a picture.

2. loud reading: Though it is reading skill, the students
will have to speak loudly which helps to create
confidence. Later on the students feel confident in
using the words, sentences they have already read.
They are familiarised with the words and different
structures which they can use later on.

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3. Look and say: From the various flash cards, photos,
pictures given the students will have to say what they
observe. Since, what they are expected to speak is in
front of them they feel encouraged.

4. Echo dialogues: Just like an echo the students are
expected to say after the teacher. They are expected to
echo the words or expressions. The drill of this sort will
lead to give practice in speaking aloud.

5. Answer questions: Answering questions orally also can
raise the level of confidence The students should be
encouraged to answer orally. Since, the students are
aware of the construction to be framed while answering
questions they feel confident.

6. Say a word to complete the sentences: As a part of the
language game the students should be asked just to
suggest a word of their own. This will encourage
independent thinking.

7. Just repeat: The students are expected to drill after the
teacher. Not even words but sentences can be revised
and repeated after the teacher. This builds in confidence
level of the students.

8. One word dialogue: Just word for word can encourage a
dialogue. Speaking all the time doesn’t require long
sentences but even words can help in developing a
dialogue. Communication is possible with words and it is

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the major function of a language.

9. Say what you are doing: While doing any action the
students are expected to say what they are doing. For
example: I am dancing. I am eating. I am jumping.

10. Tell the English words you know: To begin with the
students should be encouraged just to say words that
they know. This will help to come up with the active
vocabulary as the students will be encouraged to speak
what they already know.

11. Tell what you did from the morning: Students should
be asked to speak on what they did from the morning.
The student will have to use past tense and narrate
different activities from the morning. Since, the
students know what they already know, they can speak
fluently.

12. Describe a friend: Student know their friend better.
They can use different words to describe their friend.
This can be developed as a competition in the class.
Introducing a friend also can be a part of speaking.

13. Describing a picture: Students will have to describe the
picture. The skill of observation can help to use
different vocabulary.

14. Talking: Student will be encouraged to talk on a given
topic. The students should be given the topics in

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advance and they should come up prepared to talk.
Since, they are ready with the ideas to speak about they
can speak confidently.
15. Delivering a speech: Students should be asked to deliver
a speech on the topic decided. They can prepare in
advance.

Activities often encourage the students to speak. After
helping the students in how to speak in different situations
they would develop the essential skill. The need is to make
specific efforts in improving listening and speaking skill. At least
after undergoing these kind of activities the students in
Maharashtra should be expert in speaking English.

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2. Assessment of Answer Papers

Background

The evaluation consists of many issues like developing
a blue-print, setting of a question paper, setting model
answers, deciding on the marking criterion, actual
assessment, preparing result report, etc. The post assessment
work is equally important as the answer papers are the proof
of what the students have done as far as their skills and
abilities are concerned.

The students performance during the examination is a
result of a lot of hard work. Considering the importance of the
results the students appearing for the Board’s examination try
to do their best. The performance of the students is a result of
what they have developed as skills and abilities right from Std.
I. Naturally the students would be expecting a good result of
what they have done.

However, the students look at their own performance
and the assessment of answer papers suspiciously. These
students apply for the verification of the assessment and want
to know for themselves whether their answers are properly
judged and marked or not. So far the students were given
freedom to apply for the verification of marks. The
programme used to involve rechecking of the answer papers

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in the light of the major issues like 1. whether the marking is
properly done or not? 2. Whether the totalling of marks is
properly done or not? 3. Whether all answers attempted are
checked or not? 4. Whether there is any injustice as far as
marking is concerned? The students were not allowed to have
a look at their performance for themselves. Their answer
sheets were rechecked by the experienced, expert, senior
teachers again. However the Board has taken a bold step and
changed the very attitude of verifying the performance of the
students if requested. The Right of Information has played a
vital role in this.

The State Board has made a provision that the students
can apply for the verification of marks, or they can apply for
getting the photocopy of the answer papers which they can
carry and confirm with their teachers confirming about the
assessment of the answer papers if in case of doubt and the
possibility of increase in marking they can go further for the
reassessment so as to bring about a change in the over all
marks. The students normally believe that they have given the
proper answers but they are not marked properly or they fear
that their must be some discrepancy in totalling or their
answers are not read and are not marked properly. Most of
the time the students promise that they have given a nice
performance and the assessment is in problem. They create
such an impression for their parents or teachers. However, the
answer papers are the mirrors and they get an authentic

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picture of their performance.

Importance of Assessment

Transparent and objective assessment plays a very
important role. The future of students depend on the marks
that they get. Every child therefore, seriously fights for getting
more and more marks.

The results of Std. X and Std. XII are a terminal stage.
Admissions to further classes and the availability of seats and
getting quality education all of it depend on the marks.

There is a lot of competition and the students with the same
number of marks has increased. There are thousand of
students with the same number of marks.

The students have become conscious of the area where they
have gone wrong and they want to know about it so that they
can improve on their performance. The Board has also made
available the facility of improving the performance.

Naturally the students want to know about where they have
gone wrong. They want to know their mistakes and why their
marks are being cut.

The scheme of verification

The photocopies of answer papers are made available to the
students.

The students can apply for verification and reassessment.

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The students can show their performances to their teachers
and confirm about the accuracy of their responses. If the
concerned teachers agrees about the change in the marks
then he/she can go for applying for the reassessment.

Thus the scheme is very beneficial for the students. It will
also bring about a change and develop qualitatively. The
reliability on the assessment work will increase.

Care to be taken

Considering the fact while assessing the examiners,
moderators have to be cautious of the project. They should
be aware of the following:

Follow the guidelines and the marking scheme properly.

Go through the answers and decide on the marks after
knowing the criterion of allotting marks.

While assessing the errors of the students should be properly
pointed at the right place and in the right manner.

The students should know where they have gone wrong.

Extra care should be taken while assessing the objective and
MCQ types answers.

The marks and its entry should be properly done.

The assessment should give a feeling of satisfaction not only
to the students but also to the concerned teachers, parents
alike.

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The assessment work is a sensitive issue and the
examiners, moderators should understand their role
properly. The examiners, moderators are the part of the
system of the Board, therefore, their responsibility is even
more as compared to others. The circulars issued by the
Board are clear enough to bring about the transparency and
objectivity expected. The examiners, moderators should take
a serious note of their role.

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3. Don’t Teach!

Now known story of teachers visit to Pawnar Ashram
to meet Vinoba Bhave relates quite a lot regarding what we
expect of a teacher. The story relates: Once a group of
teachers visited Pawnar Ashram and met Vinoba. Vinoba was
in maun on that day. The teachers wanted to get a message
from him. Vinoba in maun did not speak but drew a slate and
simply wrote ‘Don’t Teach’, that left the teachers stunned.

They were the teachers and they were advised not to
teach! The teachers were just baffled to get the message.
Vinoba was very subtle while giving the message. Reading
between the lines we come to know that he wanted the
teachers to allow the children to learn which is just the
counter side of teaching. The message stands great in today’s
scenario of the classes overstated with teacher overruling.

Don’t teach! What does it really mean. Are we
expected to give up our job? What are we really expected to
do then in our class? Why not teach the job that we used to

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do for all these years? If not teach, then what? Questions like
these leave us bewildered. Getting solutions and finding
ways is not easy. Here are some few tips for you to
understand your role in a class.

Constructivism in education is not something different
from this thought. The constructivist theory believes that
learners should be given opportunity to learn by themselves.
It is very essential that both the teachers and students
understand their roles in the process of learning.

Really what is the difference between teaching and
learning? Teaching really means to pass on knowledge. It also
means to guide or to show the way. But very rarely this is
being done in our classes. Most probably we are all interested
in passing on the information as the provider of information
and expect the students to recollect the same. This process is
misunderstood as teaching and learning. To go ahead learning
is an attempt to acquire knowledge. When it is expected that
a teacher should guide, the teacher goes on giving out
everything without paying attention to the needs of the
learners.

Therefore, a teacher should note that more than

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teaching from the teacher it is learning by the students should
be given the priority. Our aim is to bring about a change in the
attitude and behaviour of the students which can be best
achieved only by putting the learner at the front position and
keep the teacher at the background. The ultimate goal of
education is to bring about a change in the behaviour of the
students. For that a teacher needs to understand the
drawbacks of our teaching strategy.

Under the name of teaching we do not allow the
novices to ask any questions or open up their minds and give
vent to natural curiosity or inquisitiveness. Even if the
students are well aware of the facts the teacher goes on
forcing the knowledge. All their doubts and questions are
already answered and the learners are left with a dry and dull
job or memorising the content and getting information,
without having involved in the process of learning.

In the name of teaching a teacher goes on giving lot of
explanation, gives examples, provides all the information and
does not allow the learners to guess, to hunt or to find out
and they are left in the hands of the teacher who supposes
himself/herself as the sole proprietor of knowledge.

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Teacher’s denial of the learner as having some
knowledge and knows something in advance creates lot of
doubts. The learner has to go on listening to something that
he/she already knows or what is not interesting. A teacher
goes on wasting his/her energy and time in informing about
what the students already know. This also makes
disinterested in classroom transaction.

Teaching is normally build around the content of the
subject and very rarely considers the concept as the base of
the process of teaching and learning. Instead of addressing on
the concept the content in the textbook is transformed in the
brains of the learners. The limitation of a textbook and the
four corners of a class room are not yet felt by a teacher. He/
She considers that it is his/her explanation that would only
help the learner to acquire new knowledge, in fact, the reality
is totally different. Taking the students beyond the text and
give them real life experience is very rarely done.

Questioning as a skill of creating awareness amongst
the learners is not handled properly. Instead of posing
challenges the learners are made handicapped by providing
ready made solutions and dictating the probable answers.

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Our tradition of a silent class as the best class therefore, need
to be questioned. How can we expect a child to learn
something new, challenging and remarkable just be keeping
quiet. As a drawback of our methodology, we behave against
the natural process which is (was) a quality of any living
individual being.

Normally a teacher would stand near a black-board the
very comfortable position and will go on giving a lecture
without bothering about what the learners are doing on their
benches. A teacher is in his/her own world and perhaps talking
to own self.

Teaching often remains as the one sided way of
transaction and the learners are rarely considered. Thee
teacher goes on transforming the information that he/she
knows and misconceives it as teaching. The talk time of a
teacher is more than the learners. The teaching is considered
as equal to ‘buying’ and ‘selling’.. Just as you go in market and
buy something because someone is selling something. This
cannot be equal with the process of ‘teaching’ and ‘learning’. I
entered the class and taught the different uses of the Present
Continuous Tense, which does not essentially mean that all my

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students in the class have understood and could make use
of the Present Continuous Tense. Therefore, my teaching is
not equal to the level of learning of the students.

Last but not the least a teacher goes on setting his/
her teaching on the test pattern or examination. All the
explanation, teaching aims at the kind question that would
be set and the expected level of response or answer. This
seems to be a major drawback. No wonder what Vinoba
said illumines the very purpose of we being in a class. The
modern trends might label it as a constructivist class or the
use of constructivism.

Then, can we come to a conclusion that we should
not teach but help the learners to learn. Clear
understanding of his/her role in a classroom is therefore
very essential. We turn out to be the obstacles in the
process of learning of the students. We create hindrance for
the students where they are struggling to know and learn.
Here are some tips for what a teacher should do in a class if
not teaching.

The teacher is expected to be in the role of a
facilitator. He/She should feel concerned that it is important

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to give scope for the students to learn and help the learner
to learn. The teacher should go on making the process of
learning easier and simpler by various means. The teacher
might provide clues, cues and create curiosity in the minds of
the learns. Instead of providing ready made answers the
teacher should help the learner to know for himself/herself.

Questioning is very interesting skill which generates
thinking capacity and the mental abilities of the students. It
is through questions students should get to know the
concept. Instead of providing ready made answers a teacher
should arouse the curiosity of the learners and help them to
find their own answers. Questions should lead the learner
towards the answers required.

A teacher should get to know the learner. It is
through the SWOT analysis of the learners the teacher can
decide on the learning process of the learner. Such case
studies would help the teacher on deciding his/her policy
towards teaching.

Use problem solving method to encourage the
inquisitive minds of the students. Let them apply their brains
and draw workable solutions, instead of mugging the set

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answers. The teacher can just play the role of a technician and
help students understand the problem and to work out for the
solutions. Arrange for brain teasing games.

Creating fruitful and planned situations would help the
learner to learn effectively. An ideal teacher would create a
learning situation and aim at the objectives of teaching. It is
perhaps in this context Vinoba gave a message of ‘Don’t
teach!’

(Published in Shikshan Sankraman…)

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4. Our Present builds our Future

Our awareness of future
Commonly we are very eager to know about our

future. Everybody expects to have a bright and happy
life in the days to come. Therefore, unsurprisingly
more than thinking about the present we pass more
time in thinking about our future. Any school going
boy or a girl is naturally attracted towards the
imaginative world of their future. They have all the
tension and stress about the comforts that they
should get in the future. Not only the poor students
but also their parents are constantly worried about
the future of their children which is distant and
uncertain. They spend their hours together in talking
about the furtue expectations and positions and for
the worst in front of their children. It is very easy to
enjoy the world of fantasy where there is lot of day
dreaming.

All the time is wasted in just hoping about the
future which is not certain and only exists in form of
our ideas. Look at the animals, birds. Do they think
about their future? Are they seen worried about the

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days that are yet to come? They live only in their
present days without bothering about what will
happen the next day. It is only the human beings that
are constantly cautious about their future. We are
possessed by the haunting spirit of our destiny which
in turn spoils our present.

Look at the following quotation which helps us
to realise the importance of the present rather than
of future.

“ If you only think of future and
forget the present

you will be loosing your future”

Our attitude towards Present

As compared to think about future we spend
less time in thinking about the present. In the true
sense the present is the reality. It is very important
that we should give importance to the life that is
passing on, moving on. It is the present that builds
our future. If we waste our valuable time in present in
just talking about the future, we will not be able to
gain anything. Perhaps all our dreams also may not
come into reality. All of us know the saying that “ As
you sow so shall you reap” If in the present we

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neglect our duties and bit of the things that we ought
to do for our future then perhaps we are making our
ground shaky for the future. If you want to be a
doctor or an engineer ,or to be at any high position,
you should give time to study hard to get your basic
ideas, concepts clear. It is by making the solid
foundation of the school and college days you can
enter into the future world of competition.

You can plan your future but you should not
forget that the doors of future can be opened only by
the key of the present. Therefore, don’t neglect
‘today’. It is very important to nurture, nourish our
present days which only will make our future days
prosperous.

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5. School Planning

Need and Importance of Planning

May and June are the months for the educational
planning. With the beginning of a new year the headmaster,
the teachers, students and the parents need to be made aware
of the planning. The article would help the planners of school
activities to consider various issues regarding the planning.
Planning normally answers the questions like What?, Why?,
How?, Where? When? Etc. Planning is defined as ‘the act of
formulating of a course of action.’ The stakeholders need to
hold meetings of the concerned plan for the activities so that
with timely efforts they can create wonders. Involving
everyone and putting everything of paper brings out the
expected results.

Planning plays an important role in everyday
functioning of the school. It is ninety nine per cent of planning
and just one per cent of execution that makes the programme
successful. Every headmaster and the school teacher has to
spend time for the school planning. In one of the studies of the
ten best schools in England it is observed that the best schools
have allotted separate time for planning in their timetable.
More the planning more sure the result.

The benefits of planning can be short listed. It is the

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planning that saves time and energy. Without planning lot of
time is wasted and energy goes waste. You start with a
programme and find the school time is going to be changed
you have to postpone the programme. You have to get ready
with the exigencies. You could have saved the time if you
could have thought of the incoming problems in advance.

The programme could be flawless and accuracy can be

increased with the systematic and comprehensive planning.

For that you will have to get into the details of the pros and

cones of the programme. If you know in advance all your

actions then easily you can get ready with the solutions for the

same. This will help you to override the problems. The

planners over all thinking will help in finding the details that

need to be considered. Planning helps to improve

quality and standard. Since the programme is conceived well

in advance the quality and standard can be reached. The

objectives of the programme or any educational activity can

be well reached if proper time is given for the planning.

Further it helps for gaining the control and achieving desired

success.

The appropriacy of the activities and clarity can be
increased only with the timely planning. Whether the activity
is desirable or undesirable will help you to know the
appropriateness of the same.

Planning helps for the proper guidance. The planner

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needs support and guidance which is available in the planning
itself. Definite direction can be given to all the activities
through proper planning. That is the organisational part can
be well taken care of. The personnel can be sure about the
work to be done. While planning novelty can be considered.
There is no point in doing any duplicate work or repeating the
similar performance.

Planning helps for deciding on the scope of work. It is
possible to work out for the division of labour. The possible
resources and the available personnel can be given work as
per their choice, interest, and expertise.

Planning helps for deciding on the number of
activities. Planning will encourage for the certainty of the
activities that would take place. Moreover, it will help for the
completeness of the action and the programme. Planner can
think of the feedback.

The members can develop a sense of awareness of
responsibility which culminate into success of the programme.
Since the participants know well in advance about their line of
action they are sure about their role and the kind of work
expected from them.

Requisites of Planning

While you actually sit for planning you will have to
consider various points. In fact the what is to be planned
forms the major part of your work. Therefore, you will have to

32

consider the following.

The most important is the available time. Considering
all other factors you will have to find suitable time for the
programme that you intend to conduct. You have to be sure
the day, date and time of the programme.

While planning the official holidays need to be
considered, as well as, considering the intention of the
programme you need to finalise the time.

The financial implication of the programme need to be
considered seriously. All the expected levels of expenses need
to thought over and proper budgeting needs to be done.

The teaching and non-teaching staff is full of
enthusiasm and they are with lot of abilities and skills. Being
the head of the institution you need to hunt for the right kind
of resource person and assign the work accordingly.

Every kind of programme needs place. Considering the
situation and the nature of the programme you will have to
consider the availability of place. Especially when the school is
run in two phases or with multiple sections the clash of
programmes seems to be inevitable.

You have to be futuristic while planning. Be imaginative
and think of how the programme would run and then plan
your action accordingly.

The human nature plays a very important role in
planning. The planning may be successful or otherwise if you

33

fail to locate a proper person for the programme. The nature
of a person always creates a problem or otherwise helps to be
successful.

Academic Planning

A school is involved in various kind of planning. Subject
wise yearly planning will include the portion in the syllabus,
the lessons to be covered and plan will have to be done how
things are going to work out through the year.

Through out the year planning needs to be done
regarding the formal and informal testing. There are weekly
short tests, unit tests with time table and the term end
examinations. Planning for them in advance helps to solve
various problems. The days and weeks to be devoted for
testing need to be finalised. Examination plans need to be
shared well in advance with the students, since it helps to
improve the quality of their performance through the planning
of studies and so on. Even the detailed time table can be made
available well in advance.

Throughout the year the school has to call on the
parents’ meetings with several reasons. Common or General
meeting of the parents. Standard wise/Division wise meeting
of the parents. Meetings of the parents whose children show
promises. Meetings of the parents whose wards need to be
given special attention. The school needs to fill up various
kinds of forms. The parents would help in doing this kind of

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job.

Schools arrange for the extra lectures and special
guidance by the experts. Planning can take care of the
personnel, time, honorarium, etc.

Every school has at least the following main
committees. School committee, School Development
Committee, Teacher-Parents Association, School Transport
Committee, Mata-Palak Sangh, Academic Council. These
meetings need to be planned well in advance.

Planning of external exams needs special attention.
Scholarship exams, N T S, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth
exams, Maths Olympiad, Rashtrabhasha Exams, etc. are
conducted by most of the schools. Coaching, fees, getting
ready for the exam. All these need special planning which
would improve the result.

Planning of Co-curricular activities

It is not only the curricular but also the co-curricular
activities that bring about a change in the behaviour of the
students. The educational objectives can be well reached
through the co-curricular activities more informally.
Therefore, planning to incorporate them need to be well
thought over.

Special planning regarding Exhibitions, inter-class
competitions, outside school competitions, sports days,
planning of excursion, trips, visits, Celebration of holidays,

35

memorable days, planning of discipline, Planning of
workshop and seminars need to be done with maximum
details. After involving all the stakeholders in the process of
planning the responsibilities would be more clear and the
programme would be more successful.

Check with the following outline for preparing the
written form of planning. This can be called as a
presentation.

Presentation

Presentation of the planning needs to be done so that
it can be referred to again and again. Following are the steps
and stages in the presentation of planning for a particular
activity. Wish you all the best for successful planning.

School Planning

Academic Co-curricular Activities
Teaching Competitions
Sports Activities
Tests
Meetings Annual Social Gathering
External Exams. Out of School Activities
Lesson Planning
Monthly & Yearly

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6. Teacher’s Attitude Towards
the Learners

Background:
Today I am going to write the nostalgic feelings

of the days gone and stark reality of the present. With
the uncontrollable and wayward uplifts in the world
outside the school and the Jr. college the students and
the teachers attitudinal changes have also remarkably
changed. Gone are the days where there was a
tremendous respect for the school and the teachers in
the minds of the students and they used to show that
in every possible way. In my experience of teaching for
the last 27 years in our institution, I have come across
variety of students. When I joined the institution in
the year 1979-80 the students were bit emotional and
attached to the teacher and the school. They were
more dependent on the teacher and the school.
Whatever that was done for them was respected,
considered and praised. The students of today are less
dependent on the school and their teachers. Now,
when I look back and peep into the past I find that the
good old days were really golden.

37

Especially at the time of send-off the whole
atmosphere used to get emotional and not only the girls
but also the boys used to start shading tears and show
sudden change into adulthood. All we teachers used to
feel very sorry for them and bless them for their career.
Even all the programmes like welcoming the students of
Std. XI, Independence day, Republic day, Ganesh
festival, etc.used to be full of feelings. So much so we
used to have a common gathering right from Balwadi to
Junior College and that also at the night time, and I
used to stay in the college overnight. The feeling of the
students used to surge to greater heights at the time of
Sports Days and Annual Social Gathering, when the
students used to be rather in different mood. But
immediately after the programme the students used to
get so friendly and sincere about their studies that we
used to wonder whether these are the same students to
whom we were controlling for discipline. At the time of
trips the students used to be so co-operative that I used
to feel satisfied and content. Those students when they
meet at any place today immediately come closer and
speak about their days giving all the credit to what we
did for them in their school days.

Students’ attitude:

The presence is a very sorry state of affairs. What

38

has happened to this young generation? A
remarkable change a shift is observed amongst the
students. Respect? Why? What? These are the
questions in the minds of the students. Bunking the
lectures has turned to be an everyday affair and
considered to be a sign of joining a Junior College. The
common observation these days is broken window
panes, even the blackboards, fans are spoiled, garbage
is littered in every class certainly the educational
atmosphere is fast disappearing.The breakage and
spoiling the property of the school has turned out to
be a craze amongst the present generation. Using fire
crackers in school premises has turned out to be like
the activity of the would be militants. Even the
examination question paper is torn into bits of paper
are thrown on the ground which is just to show ‘what’ I
don’t know. It pains to the heart when we enter the
class and observe the chair of the teacher not
respected. Where is the sensitivity? Where are the
emotions? Where is that attachment?

Have we failed to create a generation that would
respect every thing that belongs to the school? The
students forget that they will get more if they maintain
everything properly. The P.G.K. Mandal has been kind
enough to provide the maximum facilities for the wel -
fare of the students but our students are in different

39

mood. By spoiling the infrastructure they show that
they have not learnt anything. They are not educated.
Pass they will but that will be only on the paper in
examination of life they have failed. It gives immense
pains to write this.

Teacher’s attitude:

What then is the reason for such a shift in the
attitude of students? Where have things gone wrong?
Who is responsible for this? I feel the root of it is in
change of the teachers’ attitude towards the
students. Is that same attachment still there in the
teachers’ mind for the students? How much time and
energy is devoted towards our students? Do I plan
something and execute something for the Academic
welfare of the students? What is my role in the
activities conducted in the school or college? What is
the attitude of teachers towards the mistakes and
errors of the students? These are some of the
questions the answers to which might help to reveal
many things about the changed behaviour of our
students. It is not only the attitude of the teachers
that is responsible for the students attitude. Attitude
of one reacts on the attitude of the other.

Parent’s attitude:

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The parents press their wards with the
unrealistic ideals. Forcing the ideologies on the
students make them react very differently. In the first
place the students try their best to fulfill the dreams
of their parents but later learning turns to be a
phobia and they start running away from learning. On
side there are some parents that are over protective
and there are some parents that neglect their
responsibility as a parent. How many parents turn to
college after taking admission of their wards? How
many parents come and enquire about the attendance
and performance of their children? What concern do
the parents show towards the college? Why do the
parents allow their children to carry mobiles? Have
they ever asked what their children do with these
sets? Do they have any idea of how it disturbs the
routine of the college? The parents want quick results
and only success but they do not get to know the
reality of the achievement level of their students. The
parents are the providers of their children. Whatever
the students demand they go on providing it without
bothering of its effect. They just take admission for
their wards in the private tuition classes and that
spoils the students’ role in the college. The student
then enters the college just for fun. Thus the attitude
of the parents is largely responsible for changes in

41

the behvioural pattern of the students.

Society’s attitude:

The behaviour of the students in the school
and colleges is basically the concern of the society at
the larger scale. When the students finish their
schooling they are going to enter into the world
which is larger and full of hardships. If the students
are not sincere towards their own future life then
they will not be in position to give a right shape to it.
The shopkeeper outside the college should not sell
gutka, cigarettes to the students. Even the
shopkeepers allow the students to stand near their
shops and disturb the whole atmosphere and that
creates a bad scene. The shopkeepers should not
allow the students to get a reduced xerox for copying
during the examination. If all the sections of the
society come together to develop the right kind of
attitude amongst the students then and then only the
situation will show positive signs of changing. The
attractions outside the college are increasing.
Watching movies is perhaps the old type and may be
some good movies will help the children to grow.
Growing tendency towards hoteling, fast food is
detrimental. Over use of mobiles is spoiling the
students. Bikes make the students arrogant in their

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behaviour in the class.
Hope for the best:

Though I have put the ideas in harsh terms I
feel that something needs to be urgently done to
improve the present scenario in our campus
otherwise it would be too late. For that the students,
teachers, parents and the representatives of the
society need to come together otherwise we would
be held responsible for creating a sorry picture of our
future nation which is being build in form of our
students. Please someone should do something . I
have a great HOPE.

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7. Past, Present and Future of
Teaching of English at the + 2 Stage

Background:

Teaching and learning of English has seen
several ups and downs in the educational scenario.
Change has been experienced in the approach,
methods and techniques with the introduction of the
curriculum every time. Change is also observed in the
materials, methodology of teaching and the evaluation
pattern. Since, 1975 that is, right from the conception
of the + 2 stage the curriculum has changed almost
every ten years. Therefore, we observe the change in
the pedagogy also taking place. Up to the Secondary
stage the three language formula is adopted in the
State and thereafter for the Higher Secondary stage
two language/one language (in case of Bifocal
students) formula is adopted. The curricular aspect,
approach, syllabus, level of language teaching,
materials, methods of teaching, evaluation pattern
have seen paradigm shift during the four/five phases
of transition since the conception of the + 2 stage. The
pedagogy of English has always remained a delicate
issue in the educational perspective of the State.

44

Past
The first phase was developed on the National

Policy on Education, which was declared during 1968.
Based on that the changes were implemented as
follows:

1972 -73 for Std. VIII

1973 -74 for Std. IX

1974 - 75 for Std. X

1975 - 76 for Std. XI

1976 - 77 for Std. XII

The first examination of H. S. C. was conducted
in the year 1977.

The vital position that English has in the social
set up has always maintained the position of English
higher in the educational ladder of subjects to be
offered for the studies. English is compulsory subject
right from the beginning of the + 2 stage. English is
being taught at the secondary stage on the two
levels. The English medium schools were teaching
English right from Std. I when the students were five
plus. In other medium schools English was being
taught mainly as a second or third language. In such
schools English was introduced from Std. V, that is

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the students that would start learning English were
ten plus in their group.

The approach towards teaching and learning
of English was Structural but there was no
fabrication of teaching items. Instead the syllabus
suggested grammar as it arises out of text. There
were two levels of English. One was English as
Lower Level and the other was English at the Higher
Level. The syllabus of 1975-76 stated that the
general objectives of both higher and lower level
courses in English will be to help the students to
improve their proficiency in the skills of
comprehension (listening and reading) and
expression and to bring it to a level considerably
higher than that attained at the end of the
Secondary course (Standard X). The students were
free to select from either Higher level or Lower
level. But naturally the students coming from the
English medium were selecting Higher English and
the students coming from other than English
medium were offering English at the lower level.
There were two separate textbooks one at the
Higher Level and the other at the Lower Level.
There were separate books for Rapid reading
section. There used to be separate examinations for

46

the these different level of students.

During the same time the problem of offering
Higher Level English became acute as the students
offering Higher Level English were only declared
eligible to apply for M.B.B.S. and Engineering courses.
Some concession was given to those offering Lower
level English but then such students had to appear for
an entrance test with Higher English.

Immediately in the year 1979 to resolve the
problem of Higher and Lower Level was settled by
introducing Uni-level pattern of teaching of English.
The Uni-level pattern consisted of a combination of
Higher and Lower level. One textbook of Uni-level was
introduced from1979-80 for Std. XI and for Std. XII
from the year 1980-81. The first examination of Std. XII
students on the Uni-level pattern took place in the year
1981. This was infact the II Phase of change in case of
the syllabus of English.

The III Phase of changed was as per the
recommendations of Dr. Ishwarbhai Review Committee.
The implementation of change was as follows:

1982 - 83 for Std. VIII

1983 - 84 for Std. IX

1984 - 85 for Std. X

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1985 - 86 for Std. XI

1986 - 87 for Std. XII

The first final examination of Std. XII took place
in the year 1987.

The textbooks of Std. XI and XII were again
revised and they were in the Uni-level pattern. The
pattern was in interest of equality.

Present

The present scene of teaching and learning of
English which is entirely different from the traditional
one began from the fourth phase. The IV phase of
change was based on the National Policy on Education
1986. The implementation of change was as follows:

1994 - 95 for Std. XI

1995 - 96 for Std. XII

The first final examination based on the new
pattern took place in the year 1996

The Approach: The approach of teaching and learning
of English has undergone a considerable change at this
stage. The traditional approach was given up partially.
There was a good mixture of structural cum
communicative aspect. The new ways of approaching
like Communicative aspect was given the priority. It is

48

considered that the language is a means of
communication. Therefore, the students are expected
to be empowered with the communicative aspect of
language. Communication can be either oral or in
written form. The students need to master the
language so that they can be the effective user of the
language. After all English is to be studied for using in
the day to day life. The approach believed in the
futuristic and need based way of dealing with the
teaching and learning of English. The needs of the
students in the future were considered and the
changes were brought in the materials, methodology
and the evaluation pattern. During the same time the
skills based approach gained lot of importance.
Language learning was considered as equal to
acquisition of the skills namely listening, speaking and
conversation, reading and writing. The students were
expected to gain mastery in the intricacies of
developing the linguistic skills.

In the olden times the emphasis was on
teaching rather than on learning. Now the stress has
been shifted to learning. In the present approach we
find that the student is at the centre of all the
activities in the class. Teaching is important as far as it
is surrounded by the problems of the learners. Thus

49

teaching ceases to be one way affair. Thus learner
centred or such techniques that would facilitate the
learning of students is given priority. The students
were informed that learning is their responsibility.
They need not be the passive learners but actively
involved in the process of learning. The present
aspect of teaching and learning expects both the
teacher and the learner to change their role.

In the olden times the content in the textbooks
were given lot of importance. It was a teacher who
considered that transferring the message of the text
was his/her responsibility. In the changed approach
along with the content the way of delivering the
things was given lot of importance. The teacher is
expected to help the learner in how to learn and make
the learner independent in learning. During the same
time self-learning was considered as the effective way
of learning. Therefore, at this stage our efforts as
teachers should not be merely to teach a specific text.
Text is only a tool and nothing more than that. A
student may have the luxury of forgetting the
‘content’ but let him not forget the skill that he may
heave learned. The student should be able to apply
the skills that are acquired with variety of content
matter.

In case of teaching of grammar more than rules

50